UT notes: Fozzy, Major and hoops

AUSTIN — Lost in all the speculation about whether Texas will have Vondrell McGee or Tre’ Newton available for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma is the notion that the injuries might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Longhorns.

Even with McGee and Newton, the Longhorns’ running game was going nowhere. UT offensive coordinator Greg Davis called the team’s rushing struggles “the elephant in the room,” and that elephant seemed entrenched. But Whittaker, a third-year sophomore who has struggled with injuries ever since arriving on campus, has long been considered the Longhorns’ best and most dynamic tailback when healthy. And after missing the first three games of this season, his health appears to be back.

This isn’t to say UT’s ground game will suddenly take off with Whittaker. The Longhorns are a passing team, and they’ve come to grips with that. But Whittaker definitely has big-play potential, and could command just enough attention from the OU defense to make a difference. Last year, a long pass to running back Chris Ogbannaya helped break the Red River game open for UT. Whittaker possesses similar receiving skills out of the backfield, and could be a weapon on a screen or swing pass against the Sooners.

And even though he had only one carry last week against Colorado, it was a good one. Given nowhere to run where the play was intended to develop, Whittaker changed direction, got to the outside, turned up the field and dove over the pylon for a 12-yard touchdown.

“That one run encapsulates the things he can do,” UT running backs coach Major Applewhite said.

No history lessons needed: Applewhite, who was part of four Red River games as a UT quarterback and beat the Sooners in 1998 and 1999, said he hasn’t regaled his current players with tales of his UT-OU exploits, and has no plans to do so.

“I don’t think they’re interested in war stories,” Applewhite said. “I’m not going to get into past anecdotes. That bores them to tears.”

Basketball hype building: The UT men’s basketball team, picked to finish second in the Big 12 in the conference’s preseason poll and ranked in the Top 10 in the country in several national publications, will begin full practices Friday and held a media day on Wednesday.

With four of the top five scorers from last year’s 23-12 NCAA tournament team returning — a group including Damion James and Dexter Pittman — and one of the nation’s top recruiting classes being added to the mix, coach Rick Barnes might have as much talent as he’s ever had at UT.

“The challenge really will be, how do we bring it all together?” Barnes said.

Newcomers Avery Bradley (the preseason Big 12 freshman of the year), Jordan Hamilton, J’Covan Brown, Shawn Williams and Jai Lucas all raved about the team’s workouts so far. Lucas, a transfer from Florida, will have to sit out the first semester, but will be eligible to play Dec. 15 against UT-Pan American, one game before the Longhorns play North Carolina in Arlington. But all of the youngsters will have a chance to contribute.

“We don’t look at them as freshmen,” Barnes said. “The guys who are productive are the guys who are going to play.”